INDIANAPOLIS (March 6, 2004) -- LTAA, the Light Truck Accessory
Alliance, inducted three industry leaders into its Hall of Fame at
last
evening's LTAA Awards Banquet.

The banquet, held at the Westin Indianapolis following the first day
of the
SEMA Spring Expo, is an annual event where LTAA's outstanding
leaders
are acknowledged. The banquet is also the occasion when LTAA, a
council of SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association,
recognizes outstanding product design achievements.

The three 2004 inductees into the LTAA Hall of Fame are:

Salvatore (Sal) Gatti, the founder of A.R.E. Inc., a truck-cap
manufacturer
headquartered in Massillon, Ohio, was honored for his four decades
of
service to the industry. As head of A.R.E., he built the company
from a
small local manufacturer to a large company with a distributor
network of
approximately 500 dealers. Although retired, Gatti remains on the
company's board of directors. He has promoted membership in LTAA,
formerly known as TCAA (Truck Cap & Accessory Alliance), to A.R.E.
dealers and encouraged A.R.E. employees to work for the good of the
industry.

Sam Hochstetler, founder and CEO of Tite-Lok, Topeka, Ind., solved
the
truck-cap industry problem of rusting mounting clamps with his
formula for
rust-resistant aluminum clamps. The company is now the industry's
largest
manufacturer of mounting clamps. A charter member of TCAA,
Hochstetler, now 84, served on the group's executive committee and
was
a strong advocate for the organization for three decades.

Hartmut Schroeder, president and CEO of SNUGTOP Inc., Long Beach,
Calif., not only has served the organization as a member of many
committees but also as chairman of the TCAA show committee for the
group's 1999 show in Long Beach. Also a charter member of TCAA, he
has led his company to be an innovator in fiberglass truck-bed cover
design.

In presenting the awards, LTAA chairman Anne Johnson said, "It is a
great honor for me to represent the entire membership of the
Alliance in
recognizing the leadership of these three men. Without their
contributions,
and others like them, our industry would not have the strength it
enjoys
today.

"Look at these three men -- they represent a total of nearly a
century --
nearly 100 years -- of contributions to our industry. Join me in
saluting
them, please, ladies and gentlemen."

The Light Truck Accessory Alliance addresses industry-related
issues,
offers networking and educational opportunities to its members, and
encourages product quality as well as service and business practices
benefiting manufacturers, distributors, dealers/retailers and
customers.
The council includes companies that manufacture, distribute, retail
and
install accessories for pickup trucks, vans and SUVs. More
information
about LTAA, which changed its name from the Truck Cap and Accessory
Alliance last year, is available from Vic Wood, LTAA Executive
Director,
at vicw@... or 909/396-0289, ext. 150.